Tour de France - Brailsford: Froome likely to lead Sky on Tour

Team Sky chief Dave Brailsford has said that Chris Froome will likely lead his team's challenge at next year's Tour de France.

Froome was confined to a supporting role to help Bradley Wiggins clinch Britain's first win in the Tour in July, but he appeared frustrated at having to wait for Wiggins in some mountain stages before eventually finishing runner-up.

Wiggins however is likely to concentrate his energies in 2013 on winning the Giro D'Italia with the 2013 Tour de France course more likely to favour top climbers such as Froome, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

"The Tour of Italy would be a very good target for Bradley and leave Froomy then to focus on the Tour de France," Brailsford told the BBC although he did also say that the plan had not been "completely been signed off."

Last month Froome said that competing in the Tour was his wish for 2013.

"I do not know yet if I will be able to ride two big Tours," the 27-year-old Froome told L'Equipe.

"I will only be able to seek one win and I have the Tour in mind. I think Bradley could be (the leader) on the Giro d'Italia and me on the Tour," he added.

Froome added that he felt he could have won the Tour this year had he not been serving as Wiggins's lieutenant.

"I am still convinced that I could have won," he added.

"But everything was clear within the team and I tried my best to do my job. I was not the chosen leader."